THE ROLE OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN ACHIEVING ORGANIZATION OBJECTIVES (A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA POLYTECHNIC)

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Organization are increasingly challenge with many complex problem. There is a general outcry that standard of organization are falling and output are flagging some blame the workers for this apparent decline in organization output, a thoughtful few think that they are due to the nature of change in all direction. Majority blame the management for the woes in our organization; manager are not as devoted and dedicated to the course of good output as their predecessors.

Management as a group blames the government for unattractive condition of services, policy implementation and poor physical facilities in the organization.

Therefore, an effective leadership influences a group of people in a particular situation towards the achievement of a goal or set of organization goals. The leader must be courageous in all aspect within the organization.  An organization like Kaduna Polytechnic must have a leader who is focus and be able to defend his action and the interest of his subordinates. He must believes in his own potentials.

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Leadership is a social influencing process for the attainment of goals. A leader is the most influential person in an organization  who provides direction, guides group activities and ensure that group objectives are attained. The function of leadership persuades all organization; a good leader therefore is one who is capable of persuading others to move enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals.

Alan and Robert defined leadership as a process where one person exert social influences over the member of a group. A leader then, is a person for the purpose of influencing their behavior. It is safe to say that:

• All leader have influence
• They provide direction
• They help in the achievement of groups

Leadership characteristically “induce” or “inspire” other to achieve. Leadership occurs within a specific situation, in the social setting, there is a person, a position and a situation. Despite all that has been written about leader, there has no consensus concerning the primary role or function of leadership.

Indeed, the ability to lead effectively is one of the key to being an effective manager or leader. However, the essence of leadership is followership. In other words, it is the willingness of the subordinate to follow that make a person a leader. Moreso, people intend to follow those who they see as providing them a means of achieving their own desires, want and needs.

To lead is to guide, conduct, direct and precede. Leader act to help a group or organization achieved objectives with maximum application of its capabilities. They do not stand behind or a group to push or shout at them, they place themselves before the group as they facilitate progress and inspire the group to accomplish organizational goal. Therefore, leadership is to induce or persuade all subordinate or follower to contribute willingly to achieve organizational goal.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

This research work is aimed towards finding solution to the numerous problem leadership is face with in Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna. These problems include:

• Lack of Focus: Is a broad framework for action by defining major objective. Inability of a leader to establish what the organization is trying or aim to achieve.
• Lack of Leadership Skill: This include administrative inability, lack of interpersonal relationship with subordinate.
• Lack of Confidence and Trust: A Leader that has local degree of confidence and trust will not have full control over subordinate.
• Corruption: Embezzlement and mis-appropriation of fund by leader.
• Autocratic Leadership instead of democratic.
• It can do it alone syndrome among other things.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The primary aim of this research work is to look into the following issues:

• The role of effective leadership toward achieving organizational objectives using Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna as a case study.
• The study is also set out to find out the factor affecting good leadership styles in the organization or factor militating against achieving the organization objectives.
• The study aim at suggesting possible solution to the leadership problem in Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna and the importance of having good and effective leaders.

STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

This work intends to investigate “the role of effective leadership toward achieving organization objectives” with reference to Kaduna Polytechnic Kaduna. Research questions are:

1. What are the roles of effective leadership styles in Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna?
2. Is there any positive impact of effective leadership toward achieving organization objective?
3. What are the problems confronting effective leadership in Kaduna Polytechnic Kaduna?
4. Is effective leadership is the best interest of the organization and employee?
5. Is effective leadership to enhance effective, efficient and dynamic workers character toward work and performance?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work is aimed at finding possible solution to leadership in Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, this research work will also help government and non-governmental agencies to understand the problem of effective leadership and to identify way of solving the problem. The study will also help students or an institution who will also want to make finding on a similar topic. Also, it will help any individual who happen to lay his hand or read through the study to understand the role of effective leadership in the society, organization, home and where human resources are needed.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research cover the leadership styles of Kaduna Polytechnic Kaduna which is the case study of the project.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Many constraints are encountered in carrying out this research work. The researcher encountered the following problem in carrying out this study these are:

1. The research must survey all the five (5) units of Kaduna Polytechnic Kaduna in concluding this research.
2. Another constraint is lack of sufficient fund to move from one unit to another because the institutions have 5 units in different location.
3. Another prominent problem is time, the time within which the study is to be carried out is acute.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE CASE STUDY

Kaduna Polytechnic has grown from humble beginning in 1956 when it started as Kaduna Technical Institute to what is today the largest polytechnic in Africa South of the Sahara in terms of staff, student population and physical infrastructure. It is the second oldest technological institution in Nigeria, the oldest being Yaba College of Technology which was established in 1948. Kaduna Polytechnic is also the second largest tertiary institution in Nigeria after Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The Northern Nigeria executive council by Conclusion No. 1 at its meeting of 17th August, 1962 re-designated the Kaduna Technical Institute as the Polytechnic Kaduna. It became Kaduna Polytechnic in 1968 under the federal government Decree No. 20 of 1963 which was amended in 1979 by Decree No. 73 on 27th August, 1991, the federal government look over the institution under Decree No. 40 of the same year.

The institution was established with the object of providing diverse instructions, training and research in technology, the sciences, commerce, the humanities and in-service programmes for member of the Public Service in Nigeria in 1968, it amalgamated two formerly technology (formerly Kaduna Technical Institute) and the College of Administrative and Business Studies (formerly Staff Development Centre). The college of environmental studies (formerly Survey Unit) was integrated in April, 1970 to complete three collegiate structure of the Polytechnic which operated until 1990.

In 1990 the College of Engineering was created out of the College of Science and Technology. Also in 2006 the College of Administrative and Business Studies was splitted into two Colleges – College of Business and Management Studies and College of Administrative Studies and Social Science.

The Polytechnic is highly cosmopolitan with student admitted from all over Nigeria and other countries. It has been in the forefront in the training of high and middle level manpower for the various sector the nation’s economy.

The College of Kaduna Polytechnic are located within Kaduna metropolis; the College of Science and Technology (CST) and the College of Engineering (COE) are located in the main campus in Tudun Wada, the College of Business and Management Studies (CBMS) along the Golf Course Road, Unguwar Rimi with College of Administrative Studies and Social Science on Kaduna – Kachia Bye Pass while the College of Environmental Studies is located along Aliyu Makama Road, Barnawa.

Each college is headed by a Director who is responsible to the Rector for its day to day administration. The colleges are organized into school and academic departments. There are at present ten schools and thirty six departments.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Leadership: It the state or position to lead a group of people in a country or in an organization.
2. Effective: Producing the result that is wanted or intended.
3. Objective: A set of goals that one is trying to achieve within a given period.
4. Organization: It is a process of arrange different unit within an organization with the aim of working together to achieve a specific goal.
5. Qualities: Thing this is part of a person character especially the good side.
6. Achieving: To succeed in a particular goal status or standard, especially making an effort for a long time.
7. Motivation: The process of influencing one behavior with certain incentives to improve his productivity or output.
8. Subordinates: A person with less power and authority in an organization and he is answerable to a boss.
9. Principal: A person who is incharge of an organization or college. 
10. Administrator: A person whose job is to manage and organize the public or business affair of an organization or institution.
11. Leader: A person who leads a group of people especially the head of an organization, country etc.
12. Democratic Leader: A leader that carry all member of the organization alone in decision making and running the business also known as participating leader.
13. Supervisor: A person who is incharge of a work to ensure that everything is done correctly.
14. Theory: The principal in which a particular subject is based.
15. Task: A pieces of work that one has to do especially hard or unpleasant one.